CVE-2008-4131 in Solaris
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Sun Solaris 8 through 10 allow local users to gain privileges via vectors related to handling of tags with (1) the -t option and (2) the :tag command in the (a) vi, (b) ex, (c) vedit, (d) view, and (e) edit programs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4131 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw affecting Sun Solaris operating systems from version 8 through 10. This security weakness resides within the core text editing utilities that are fundamental to system administration and user operations. The affected programs include vi, ex, vedit, view, and edit, which are standard components of the Solaris environment and are widely used for file manipulation and system configuration tasks. These utilities are particularly significant because they often run with elevated privileges and are frequently accessed by system administrators who may be executing commands with root-level permissions.
The technical flaw manifests through improper handling of tags in the context of specific command-line options and internal commands. When users invoke the -t option or utilize the :tag command within these text editors, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the tag data structures. This processing error creates a condition where local attackers can manipulate the tag handling mechanisms to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability is classified as a local privilege escalation issue because it requires physical or logical access to the system but does not need network connectivity or remote exploitation capabilities. This characteristic makes it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where unauthorized users might gain access to systems through legitimate administrative channels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to bypass standard security controls and access sensitive system resources. The affected text editors are commonly used for system administration tasks, including editing configuration files, managing user accounts, and modifying system settings. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can potentially gain root access to the entire system, allowing them to install backdoors, modify system binaries, steal sensitive data, or completely compromise the integrity of the operating environment. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise settings where Solaris systems serve as critical infrastructure components and where the default installation of these text editors may be present with default system configurations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system patching from Oracle, as the flaw exists in the core system utilities that cannot be easily bypassed through configuration changes alone. Organizations should prioritize applying the relevant security patches and updates provided by Oracle to address the tag handling mechanisms in the affected text editors. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of these specific utilities to detect unusual access patterns or privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation in system utilities. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the privilege escalation techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1068 technique for local privilege escalation, specifically targeting the exploitation of system utilities with elevated privileges. Regular security audits should include verification of text editor configurations and access controls to ensure that users cannot leverage these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized system access.